Ascended

Eveth hit me halfway back.

“YOU’RE A TOUCHED!”

I eyed her sword, which was staying in its sheath. “And you haven’t attacked me yet.”

Eveth touched her sword, but didn’t grab it. “You were trying to help, but… What she said… Mom… Jaz.” She wiped a tear away from her face. “The Bokor know what you are don’t they?” Confusion was all over her face, “Why haven’t they killed you?”

“To be honest, Val isn’t exactly a ‘legal’ Bokor and Master James is… Different.” I shook my head. “We’re just trying to figure out how to survive.”

“What?” It appeared her shock was starting to wear off.

“I was a Potential and Val was a Wrangler one town over.: I nodded towards the west. “Long story short, the mayor was sacrificing rivals to be made into Zombies. Val got crossways with him, so he tried to sacrifice her. My partner and I investigated and got too close. He was turned then Val and I were bitten.” I shrugged, “Attempting to change was the only way to live.” I hung my head, “I broke so many rules, then became this. If we go back to the Island, then I’ll be killed for being a Touched and the Bokor aren’t Val’s favorite thing, so…” I shook my head, “I would bet that she’d be killed for being illegally made.”

“Then why are you still working for them?” Eveth sounded very confused.

“Because…” My answer now seemed ridiculous. “This morning, I would have said that I was with them because they are the only thing that is really effective against the Zombies, but now…” I shook my head. “Now I’m with people that I trust who are genuinely trying to save people.” I sighed. “People still need help and I was supposed to be doing a Route. If I cut and run, it’ll be another month at least before they send someone. I can’t just abandon people like that even if they do want to kill me for what I am.”

We walked in silence for a little bit, “Are you going to out me?” I had the bandages in my pocket and wanted to know what to do with them.

She thought for a little while longer. “You’re trying to help the town.” Eveth shook her head, “Plus it would cause way too much of a distraction from the real problem.”

“Thanks.” I started putting the bandages back on.

“Do you trust them?” Eveth watched me work.

“Who?”

“The Bokor.” She swallowed, “In town.”

I was glad she qualified her statement. “Yes.” I looked over at her through the bandage slits. “Master James is always getting in trouble for caring too much and Val…” I chuckled, “I’ve only known her for a few days, but we’ve saved each other’s lives more times than either of us can remember.” I nodded, “So yeah, I trust those two. All the Bokor..?” I couldn’t believe what I was about to say. “No.”

She just watched me as we walked. There was no follow up question, no request for an explanation. Just acceptance.

Eveth nodded at my pocket. “Do you think that will really make me like you?”

“I have no idea.” I really didn’t. “I don’t know how much we should trust ‘The Master’, but I think she was serious about attacking in the morning.”

“Yeah…” She closed her eyes, “How long does it take?”

“It was a couple hours for me and Val.” I looked at her, but this is a completely different crystal, I have no idea what it will do.”

“But it could help us out a lot.” She took a nervous breath, “And if it killed me…” She gestured at herself. “I’m kind of spent right now.”

I looked up at the sky. It was the middle of the afternoon. There was a chance that Val and Master James had come out to look for us. If they found all of the bodies, they’d think the worst. I needed to get back fast so that I could report to them.

‘I’m going to take the crystal.” Eveth held out her hand.

I fished the crystal out of my pocket and handed it over to her.

“What do I do with this?”

With raw heartstones you smashed them into dust, but I had a feeling that it was going to be difficult to do. I spied a rock and pointed at it, “You have to smash it into powder.”

She gave me a quizzical look, but walked over to the rock and took out a piece of cloth and wrapped the crystal in it. She beat it with the back of her sword until she was certain that she’d powdered it.

“Now what?”

“You eat it.” I nodded at her canteen, “You could probably mix it with that.”

She took out the canteen and poured the dust in. Shook it up , then drank it all.

“Now wha…”

I caught her as she fell. We probably should have waited until we got into town, but this way at least she transitioned faster.

I threw her over my shoulder and kept walking. My list of topics had just increased by one.